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H O T S T A H 

AN INDIAN GIRL 




A Cheyenne Baby 



HOISTAH 



AN INDIAN GIRL 



S. M. 



BY 



. BARRETT 



author or 
'qeronimo's stoht or his life,' 

"MOCCO, AK INDIAN BOY," ETC. 




NEW YORK 

DUFFIELD & COMPANY 

1913 



Copyright, 1013 
By DUFFIELD & COMPANY 



©CU85?ft3* 






CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. A Winter's Camp ..... 3 

II. Other Camps 11 

III. The Disaster 21 

IV. Legends 27 

V. Legends (Continued) .... 34 

VI. The Long Trail 45 

VII. The Long Trail (Continued) . . 56 

VIII. End of the Long Trail .... 69 

IX. At Home 81 

X. The Sun Dance 91 

XI. Moni Nieo (Women Who Have Chosen) 102 

XII. Valley of the Arkansas . . . 108 

XIII. Seeking a New Home . . . . 118 

XIV. In Oklahoma 125 

XV. With Her Own People . . . . 131 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

A Cheyenne Baby .... Frontispiece ^ 

Hoistah Facing page 47 V 

Swimming Across After Her . "67 

White Fool's Cabin ... " M 79 



t, 



HOISTAH 
AN INDIAN GIRL 



HOISTAH 

CHAPTER I 

A Winter's Camp 

More than a hundred years ago a band 
of Cheyenne Indians once made a winter's 
camp on the bank of the river which still 
bears their tribal name. They chose a 
beautiful spot near the Black Hills, where 
the woods were abundant and deer and elk 
would soon be driven in by winter storms. 

The camp consisted of some seventy te- 
pees made of buffalo hides stretched over 
poles. Each tepee was the home of a fam- 
ily, and the whole camp formed a circle, 
with an opening through which the first rays 
of the morning sun could come and awaken 
these primitive people. 

3 



HOISTAH 

The rolling, flat-topped mountains called 
the Black Hills were back from the river. 
Their western slopes were covered with 
dark green pines and their valleys sparsely- 
carpeted with coarse grass. Some of the 
hills were of lighter coloured rocks and soil, 
among which, here and there, hills of sombre 
black arose, or great, blackened rocks stood 
up like sentinels above the canyons and yel- 
low sandstone cliffs. 

The tepees were well stored with warm 
blankets and buffalo robes, and plenty of 
buffalo meat hung drying in the autumn 
sun. 

When this camp was all arranged and 
everything well in order, the chief, young 
Iron Shirt, called a council of his warriors. 
The former chief, Wolf Robe, had but re- 
cently lost his life in a battle with a band 
of Sioux Indians. The chief and several of 

4 



A WINTER'S CAMP, 

his followers had already fallen, and the 
timely arrival of Iron Shirt and a band of 
the young warriors saved the day for the 
band. But the results of the battle after 
all were bad enough, for besides the loss of 
their old chief the Cheyennes lost several of 
their most trusty warriors. It was to con- 
sider what should be done about this matter 
that the council had been called. 

When the council arose from its session 
Iron Shirt gave quick commands, and in a 
few hours the warrior band, in full war 
paint, rode away to avenge the blood of 
their kinsmen and punish their mortal ene- 
mies, the Sioux. 

Only the old and infirm, or the inferior 
warriors, were left to guard the camp and 
protect the women and children. 

Every day the herd boys drove the ponies 
far out to some river-valley meadow where 

5 



HOISTAH 

the grass was still good, and while the herd 
grazed the boys played at war or hunted 
wild turkeys and other small game. 

At night the ponies were driven in near 
the camp, so that the warriors on guard 
duty might protect them from any roving 
bands of Crow or Sioux Indians that 
might try to steal them. 

To keep the ponies from straying, the 
boys each time would hobble a number of 
them, usually those which had been ridden 
that day. The rawhide thong, used to tie 
the pony's feet in hobbling him, served also 
as a bridle to ride him with. This primitive 
bridle was made by fastening one end of 
the rawhide around the pony's lower jaw 
and using the remainder as a single rein. 
AH Cheyenne boys were expert horsemen. 

The women of the tribe were busy too, 
dressing the skins of deer and buffaloes, pre- 

6 



A WINTERS CAMP 

paring the buckskin and leather needed for 
clothes or tents. Some of the women made 
garments for winter wear — shirts, dresses 
and moccasins. Besides they had the corn 
to gather and the meat to dry. No one 
was idle — even the smaller children were 
busy at their play. 

Thus several weeks passed in the lonely 
camp, and still there were no signs of the 
return of the Cheyenne warriors. 

According to the old people of the tribe 
everything indicated a hard winter. The 
berries had borne plentifully, the leaves in 
the forest were thick, and the fur on all 
the wild creatures of the chase was un- 
usually heavy. Indeed even the falling of 
the pine cones on the hillsides indicated, 
to the Cheyennes, an unlucky winter. 
Worst of all, old White Eagle, the medi- 
cine man, had prophesied disasters. 

7. 



HOISTAH 

At last the coming winter and its rapid 
approach became the chief topic of con- 
versation throughout the camp, especially 
in its probable effect upon the absent war- 
riors. 

One day an ominous ring was visible 
around the sun, the air was hazy and mois- 
ture-laden and the east wind seemed more 
than chilly as it sighed through the boughs 
of the scattered trees in the camp. Old 
White Eagle said, "The snows are com- 
ing," and the women and children said, 
"Why do the warriors stay so long? Has 
evil befallen them?" 

That night the herd boys came with the 
ponies of the tribe earlier than usual, and, 
driving them into a narrow, sheltered valley, 
entered the camp, hungry, of course, but 
glad to be near the fires in the tepees. 

The camp soldiers drew blankets close 

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,« 



A WINTER'S CAMP 

about them as, in the gathering gloom, they 
silently mounted guard to protect the help- 
less sleeping ones. Women talked to- 
gether in little groups here and there. Iron 
Shirt's young wife, Meneah |(Doll 
Woman), was alone in her tepee, tenderly 
caring for a new born babe, the newly 
awakened mother's instincts strangely 
surging through her soul as she thought of 
the joys and responsibilities now placed 
upon her. 

Suddenly a cry "Hoist!" "Hoist!" 
(Signal lights! Signal lights!) rang 
through the camp, and a hundred glad 
voices answered and took it up: "Hoist!" 
"Hoist!" Distinct but far away, far to the 
east, four lights had risen, and gone out and 
reappeared again and again. They were 
the signals of the victorious warriors return- 
ing home, and the whole village — all except 

9 






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N 



HOISTAH 

Meneah and her tiny babe — joined in build- 
ing the answering signal lights. When the 
women, with hearts brim full of joy, went to 
Iron Shirt's tepee they saw for the first time 
the little one and Meneah called her (Sig- 
nal-Light Girl) Hoistah. 



10 



CHAPTER II 

Other Camps 

In the early dawn of the next day the 
returning Cheyenne warriors, after having 
travelled all night through falling snow, 
reached their camp and told of the glorious 
victory they had won over the hated Sioux. 
Chief Iron Shirt was glad to know that his 
safe return from his first victory was to be 

commemorated in the name of his first-born 
child. 

The severe winter weather, beginning 
early in the fall, continued unabated until 
late in the spring. Thus far the signs noted 
by the Cheyennes seemed to have been 
rightly interpreted, and the prophecies of 
old White Eagle likely to be fulfilled, 
though no disasters had come yet. 

11 



HOISTAH 

In the spring the Cheyennes moved down 
the river among the green meadows, seek- 
ing pasture for their ponies and following 
the deer, elk and buffaloes as they left the 
shelter of the wooded hills. Protection be- 
ing no longer needed, the animals entered 
the open country in the river valleys where 
the first tender grass springs up, and the 
warriors sought them there. 

Hoistah, in her Cheyenne cradle, hung 
at her mother's back and perhaps wondered 
what all these changes meant. By the next 
autumn, when the tribe had come again 
into winter camp in the Black Hills, she 
was learning to walk, and all day long 
would toddle about among the tepees. By 
the next spring and summer she was 
gathering wild flowers and could play upon 
the green with the other little Cheyenne 
children. 

12 



OTHER CAMPS 

So passed four summers, and again the 
winter camp was made on the bank of the 
Cheyenne River. 

The Cheyennes as usual had come into 
the Black Hills before it was time for the 
game to be driven in to seek shelter, but no 
big game came, indeed it seemed that the 
big game, elk and buffaloes, would never 
come. Repeatedly hunting parties had re- 
turned to camp to report only ill luck. 

One band of hunters, going far down 
the river, came back with the report that 
the Crow Indians were encroaching upon the 
Cheyenne hunting grounds. Whether 
other Indians were driving the animals away 
or whether the mild winter weather induced 
them to remain longer in the open country 
was an unsettled question in the camp. 

Iron Shirt had about decided to organise 
a large hunting party and go down the river, 

13 



HOISTAH 

with the intention of finding the game or 
else driving from the hunting grounds of 
his people any Crow or other Indians whom 
he might find. A council had been called 
for the next day to discuss the situation. 
AH the old hunters had decided that only 
small game could be found in the vicinity 
of the winter camp, and as the supply of 
dried meat was insufficient for the winter, 
some means must be provided for securing 
larger game. 

The next day a little Cheyenne boy, Run- 
ning Wolf, son of sub-chief Yellow Hawk, 
reported that a large number of wild goats 
were feeding in a valley about two miles 
below the camp. Immediately a hunting 
party was formed and moved out to drive 
the goats into the river at a bend a mile be- 
low the camp where a high bank on the 
opposite shore would make it possible to 

14. 



OTHER CAMPS 

prevent escape. In a few hours the skilful 
hunters had the whole herd in this death 
trap, and were killing them at leisure, when 
a party of white men approached. 

An Indian woman and her French hus- 
band, who were with the white men, acted 
as interpreters. Through this couple the 
strangers said they were on a peaceful 
mission from the great chief of the pale- 
faces. They had come at his bidding to visit 
his red children of the western forest. They 
promised that on the morrow they would 
visit Iron Shirt's camp and deliver a mes- 
sage from their chief at Washington. 

The hunters then invited their guests to 
help themselves to game. The white men 
killed a dozen or more wild goats and with 
this supply of meat departed. 

Hoistah, seated on her mother's pony, had 
seen the white men, and became quite 

15 



HOISTAH 

anxious to know more of them. As her 
mother could not answer all her questions 
she decided to ask little Running Wolf, 
whom she thought a very wise person. She 
must not bother her father with questions, 
of course. 

At evening she sought the now famous 
young hunter, Running Wolf, and asked 
him of the white men, but he could tell little 
of them except that they had with them a 
very strange creature — a black man who 
was as large and strong as a grizzly bear. 

Early next morning the Cheyenne camp 
was astir, for the guests must be received in 
proper form. Under the direction of the 
chief a council lodge was made of twenty 
buffalo hides stretched over poles arranged 
in a huge circle with an opening to the east- 
ward. 

Meneah placed Iron Shirt's war bonnet, 

16 



OTHER CAMPS 

spear, bow and arrows, war clubs, and new 
moccasins in the sunlight, where they lay 
for an hour or more before the chief called 
for them. Hoistah followed her every 

m 

where. Next Meneah brought out Iron 
Shirt's three favourite stone pipes, a pouch 
of tobacco, and a beautiful blanket and 
placed these also in the morning sun, to 
serve at the council. 

Young, fat puppies were killed and pre- 
pared, to make a delicate feast for the dis- 
tinguished visitors, and all the Cheyennes 
awaited the coming of their guests. 

About mid-morning the expected guests 
arrived and among them Captain Clark, for 
it was none other than the famous explorer. 
The captain was received into the council 
lodge and seated on a buffalo robe by the 
side of Chief Iron Shirt, who, in war bon- 
net and all his fine feathered and beaded 

17 



HOISTAH 

ornamental dress, welcomed the distin- 
guished messenger from the great father. 
After they too were seated the warriors of 
Iron shirt and the followers of Captain 
Clark were invited to sit within the circle of 
the council lodge. Then the lodge was 
closed. A richly coloured blanket was 
placed over the shoulders of the two chief- 
tains and the peace pipe was smoked. After 
this Captain Clark, upon the invitation of 
Chief Iron Shirt, arose and spoke as follows : 

"The great chief of the white men, 
Thomas Jefferson, your white father, sends 
greetings to you, and advises that you visit 
him and that all the Cheyennes and other 
Indians of the west cease from killing each 
other and live at peace." 

The Indian woman and her French hus- 
band interpreted what was said. Slowly 

18 



OTHER CAMPS 

and with great dignity Iron Shirt arose and 
answered : 

"We welcome you. You give good ad- 
vice, but it is hard to follow. If we went to 
see this great white father in his camp in 
the land of the rising sun, our enemies, the 
Crow and Sioux Indians, would steal our 
ponies and kill our women and children. 
But if all the other Indians will live at peace 
it will suit the Cheyennes. Is that not so, 
my braves?" And a chorus answered, "It 
is so." 

Again the Indian woman and her French 
husband interpreted. Then presents were 
given. After this the white men, declining 
to partake of the feast, left the Cheyenne 
camp. 

Among those who did not enter the 
council lodge were the women and children 

19 



HOISTAH 

of the Cheyennes, and the black man, York, 
who was Captain Clark's servant. 

York wandered about the camp aimlessly, 
and everywhere he went Hoistah and a troop 
of other small children followed, though 
if he chanced to turn back suddenly they 
all fled in terror. York, perceiving this, 
frequently made abrupt changes in his 
course, until once, when he turned about 
suddenly, little Running Wolf, with bow in 
hand and arrow tightly drawn, faced him. 
The negro grinned good-naturedly at the 
determined little warrior, but thereafter he 
looked back before he turned lest a boyish 
arrow should destroy an eye for him. 



20 



CHAPTER III 

The Disaster 

Thanks to the visit from Captain Clark 
and his party, a new interest awoke in the 
minds of the Cheyennes. They, began to 
think and to talk of the great outside world 
and of the lands and people far away. 

Old White Eagle, however, could see no 
good in this new people. This wonderland 
of the east was, to him, a menace. The 
visit from the pale-faces seemed to him the 
beginning of the disaster that, according to 
his prophecies, for four years had threatened 
his people. "It is all wrong," said he. "I 
shall not live to see it, but disaster is near 



us." 



Hoistah, as she brought corn for her 



21 



HOISTAH 

mother to pound in the stone mortar, or as 
she watched the other women melt the finely 
pulverised glass and thus make beautifully 
coloured beads, heard them talking, talking, 
talking of the pretty things the white people 
wore. 

The dress of the Cheyenne woman at this 
time consisted of two pieces of coarse leather 
or perhaps buckskin, front and back, sewed 
together with rawhide thongs and reaching 
to the knees. The dresses, of course, had 
arm-holes, and some of them were decorated 
with rude pictures or tribal symbols burnt 
into the leather. These front and back 
pieces could in cold weather be laced to- 
gether over the shoulders, but in mild 
weather they hung down over the belt which 
held the garment to the body at the waist. 
Every Cheyenne woman as she thought of 
the strange people and their fine clothes 

22 



THE DISASTER 

wondered if she could ever have a dress 
made of beautiful cloth. 

Over the plain dresses, the Cheyenne 
women wore bright blankets or shawls. 
Necklaces of bear's claws strung on leather 
strings were abundant. Hoistah had a 
necklace made of wolf's claws strung in a 
similar manner. 

Elk teeth were also used for decorations, 
and one of Hoistah's dresses, a soft doeskin 
fabric, was decorated with these. Her 
moccasins were ornamented with glass beads 
and beautifully coloured, flattened quills of 
the porcupine, laced or fastened into the 
buckskin so as to form pretty designs. Her 
belt was covered with pretty glass beads, 
and she had a bodice of large, long beads 
made from the thigh-bones of deer. But 
one evening as she followed her mother to 
gather sticks for the tepee fire she said, "I 

23 



HOISTAH 

wish I could ever have a pretty cloth dress." 
Meneah answered, "Perhaps you may, but 
I do not know how we can get it." 

Not only the women and children were 
filled with longings for new and strange 
things but the warriors longed for polished 
guns such as Captain Clark's men had, for 
beverages such as the French traders some- 
times gave them, and for soft clothing and 
"strong moccasins" such as white men 
wore. 

While these primitive people were yet 
busy with preparation for winter the snows 
came. Old White Eagle passed away one 
stormy night, and then the Cheyennes said, 
"This is the disaster that for four years has 
threatened us." 

On a lonely hill they erected his Burial 
scaffold the next day, and, wrapping his 
best blanket about him, placed his body 

24 






THE DISASTER 

there. Beside the scaffold were placed his 
sacred implements — the great fire spoon, 
used to carry the sacred fire at the sun dance ; 
the world-shield, used in the sacred games; 
his medicine mortar and his cup in which he 
measured medicines; an elk horn spoon, an 
elk horn scraper and his war club. In his 
hands were placed his medicine bag, spear, 
and bow and arrows. Near him were 
placed provisions for his long journey. 
His favourite pony too was killed and left 
by his master. Then because White Eagle 
had always been wise as well as good and 
kind, and because it was a custom of the 
tribe, everybody brought some present and 
left it by his burial place. First his rela- 
tives brought all they had to him as a sacri- 
fice; next the other people brought what- 
ever they chose to bring. It was a funeral 
befitting the rank and dignity of the aged 

25 



HOISTAH 

Cheyenne. That night another snow 
storm covered over deeply the dead bodies 
of chief and pony and all that his relatives 
and friends had left for him. 



26 



CHAPTER IV 

Legends 

The snows that followed the burial of 
the old medicine man remained unmelted 
for weeks and weeks. The days became 
shorter and the evenings longer. This was 
the season for telling stories around a good 
warm fire. 

One night Hoistah was permitted to ac- 
company her mother to the tepee of her 
grandmother, Little Woman, who would 
tell some of the legends of her people to 
several of the younger women gathered 
around her. As they passed around the 
outer camp circle on their way Hoistah 
noticed the beautiful northern lights play- 
ing just above the horizon, always pale 

27 



HOISTAH 

white but of fantastic form. When at last 
all the guests assembled in the tepee and 
were comfortably seated, the company 
would then listen without comment or ques- 
tion to the monotonous tones of the feeble, 
wrinkled, old grandmother, as she told the 

legend of 

THE WICKED OLD WOMAN. 

Long, long ago a little girl and her baby 
brother wandered one day far into a dense 
forest. They had been told not to go into 
this forest, but they yielded to curiosity and 
did what their parents told them not to do. 

When they were tired of walking so far 
they found berries to eat and water to drink 
and slept upon the grass for a long time. 
Then they started home, but soon lost their 
way and knew they were lost. On and on 
they went among strange hills and streams 
of bitter water. The sun went down, but 

28 



LEGENDS 

the moon was shining and they went on and 
on. 

At last the moon too went down and the 
little boy was so tired he could walk no 
farther. His sister tried to carry him, 
but he was heavy for her; she was too 
tired. 

Presently they saw a light and going up 
near to it found a lone tepee in which a 
withered, wicked, old woman lived. 

The little girl realised at once, for she had 
heard the tale, that this was the wicked old 
woman of the lonely forests, but now the 
children knew the old woman had seen them 
and they had no chance of escape, and so 
they went boldly in. The little girl said, 
"Grandmother, I have come to be your little 
helper. I can bring your water and wood 
and my little brother will soon be big enough 
to kill game for you to eat." Surprised be- 

29 



HOISTAH 

yond measure the old woman bade them 
come in and lie down to sleep. 

The little girl closed her eyes, but she did 
not sleep. Her little brother, however, 
slept soundly, for he was so tired. 

Soon the old woman arose from the fire 
and came over near to the children. She 
had a sharp knife in her hand and her look 
was evil. The little girl sat up and said 
calmly, "Grandmother, you are not wise to 
eat us, for then there will be no one to help 
you." Surprised more than ever at the 
watchfulness and wisdom of this child the 
wicked woman decided to let both children 
live, at least until morning. 

Next morning she sent the children to 
bring wood for her, which they did. Then 
she sent them to the nearby lake for water, 
but when it was brought she threw it away 
as unfit to use and sent them back again. 

30 



LEGENDS 

This she did three times, and said, "If you 
cannot bring me good water you will at 
least serve as a good meal." 

Greatly troubled the children went again 
to the lake and were starting back with more 
water when a porcupine came to them and 
said, "Go in where the moss is thick and fill 
the basket there. She will like that. Then 
follow my advice carefully and I will de- 
liver you from this terrible old woman." 
The children did as the porcupine told them 
and sure enough the old woman took the 
water, though she looked perplexed about 
it, or something. All day she sat in si- 
lence, not even answering the questions the 
children asked, nor eating any food. 

At evening the children were playing in 
the moonlight when she called them, and 
they started to the tepee, afraid to disobey 
her. At that moment the porcupine ap- 

31 



HOISTAH 

peared suddenly before the children, and 
said, "Take these quills and set them up in 
the path." The children obeyed quickly, 
and as they did so peeped in and saw that 
the old woman had removed her moccasins. 

Soon the call came again from the tepee 
and the children answered, "We are coming, 
grandmother." But following the porcu- 
pine they ran away down the path as noise- 
lessly as they could. 

Soon the voice of the wicked old woman 
in wrathful tones said, "I'll teach you to 
loiter when I call," and she sprang out of 
the tepeje and ran down the path after them, 
but she soon stopped to take the sharp quills 
out of the soles of her feet. 

On and on ran the porcupine and the 
children followed. Presently they came to 
a river, over which, reaching from bank to 
bank, a great tree trunk had fallen. When 

32 



LEGENDS 

the children were safely across this bridge 
the porcupine said, "Go on toward that 
bright yellow star and you will find your 
home. I shall guard this foot-log. And 
do not come again into this forest of the 
evil old woman." 

When her little brother could run no 
longer the girl carried him, almost fainting 
though she was from fright and fatigue, but 
at last they saw the campflre of their home 
and ran on eagerly, glad to be safely out of 
the way of the evil designs of the Wicked 
Old Woman. 



33 



CHAPTER Wt 

Legends '(Continued^ 

Little Woman ceased and Meneah arose 
and brought some more fire-wood from out- 
side the tepee. As she re-entered Hoistah's 
dog came in, placed his head beneath his 
little mistress' hand, and watched the blaze 
leap up to consume the sticks as Meneah 
threw them upon the fire. When all were 
quiet again Little Woman in measured 
tones began to speak. This time the story 
she told was called 

THE LEGENDS OF THE CHEYENNES. 

Long ages ago our people lived east and 
north from here, on the shores of some great 
lakes. They caught fish and killed birds 
for food. Their clothing was made of bird 

34 



LEGENDS 

skins, and their tepees were made of the 
bark of trees. The winters were very cold 
In that country. 

By and by the Cheyennes became dis- 
contented, and, leaving the shores of the 
akes, travelled south and west to a great 
river, on the banks of which they camped. 

Fish and birds were not so abundant here 
is near the lakes and soon famine began to 
iestroy the tribe. One youth, in sorrow for 
;he distress of his people, climbed to a liill- 
;op above a great cave where he fasted and 
grayed for four days. Then the great 
jpirit heard him and told him how he might 
*elieve the distress of the Cheyennes. 

After cautioning his people to wait for 
lim this young Cheyenne medicine man 
mtered the cave and through it followed far 
lown into the earth, until at last the trail of 
he cave terminated in an immense open 

35 



HOISTAH 

prairie. In this prairie was a camp and in 
the camp the Cheyenne found an old man 
and an old woman sittin and near by, a 
boy and a girl playing. 

In the camp too was an abundance of 
food — stacks of grain and piles of meat, 
while on the one side were fields of grain and 
on the other herds of strange four-footed 
creatures. 

The old man explained to the young 
Cheyenne that the grain was called corn 
and the animals in the herd were buffaloes, 
and he also said, "The corn and meat are 
abundant, and whatever you desire you may 
carry back to your people for food." 
Moreover he kindly invited the young 
Cheyenne to feast and smoke with him, and 
while the hungry youth ate of the broiled | 
buffalo meat and the parched corn he ex- 
plained to him in detail how to form the 

36 



LEGENDS 

camp of the Cheyennes in a circle opening 
toward the rising sun, how to erect the wil- 
low pole bearing aloft the nest of the Thun- 
der Bird, and how to worship the great 
spirit in the sacred sun-dance. 

When the feast was ended the old man 
gave the youth all the meat and corn he 
could carry, and said, "I will always assist 
you in caring for the Cheyennes in times of 
distress." 

When the young Cheyenne came again 
from the cave he found that his people were 
: faint from hunger and he gave them meat, 
for which they were grateful. At last he 
asked if all had eaten. Said he, "No Chey- 
enne must be allowed to suffer from hunger, 
Ifor here is as much meat left as I thought 
I had brought in the beginning." 

Then some one said, "Old Night-killer is 
*)ld, and his wife, too, is feeble with age. 

37 



HOISTAH 

They are still hungry, if indeed they are 
yet alive, for they were too weak to come 
with us." At this the young leader said, 
"It is well that you have thought of the 
old and helpless for that is commendable. 
Let strong men go and bring these aged 
ones here quickly." 

Thereupon young men ran swiftly back 
and bore the aged couple quickly to the 
leader. When the two old people had 
eaten, there remained no more meat. By 
this time, however, the shadows of night 
were falling, and the people, thankful for 
the refreshing food, soon were ready to re- 
tire to their several tepees to rest and sleep. 

Early the next morning the Cheyennes 
were all at the great cave as the young N 
leader had directed, and a large four-footed 
creature with shaggy head, two strong horns 
and a mighty body, came out from the great 

38 



I 



LEGENDS 

cave and began eating grass. Then the 
young man said, "This is a buffalo from the 
under-land; kill him. The meat you ate 
yesterday was the flesh of a buffalo." 

Quickly the buffalo was killed, his flesh 
was eaten and his skin was given to old 
Night-killer for a tepee. 

The next morning at sunrise four more 
buffaloes came out from the cave. On the 
following morning ten came. On the 
fourth morning the people all waited and 
expectantly watched the mouth of the cave, 
and at sunrise there rushed forth from the 
cave not only buffaloes, but also elk, deer, 
antelopes, coyotes, rabbits, squirrels, chip- 
munks, beavers, and all kinds of game in 
abundance, while the young Cheyenne, by 
the wisdom which the great spirit had given 
him, told his people the name of every crea- 
ture which came forth, and for what it was 

39 



HOISTAH 

to be used ; in what manner it might be most 
successfully hunted and what regions it in- 
habited. 

Next the people brought a large willow 
pole and their young medicine man taught 
them the ceremonies of the great sun-dance 
of which the chief below the cave had taught 
him. 

The corn which their young leader 
brought from the under-land the Cheyennes 
planted and tilled as they were directed, and 
when winter came again they brought the 
ears to their camp, and parched the grains 
and ate them. 

"This," said the grandmother, "is our 
history, as our old people have told it 
through all our generations." Then old 
Little Woman sat in silence, gently sway- 
ing her body to and fro in the fading fire- 
light, and no one questioned her. Finally 

40 I 



LEGENDS 

little Hoistah said, "Grandma, did dogs 
come from the cave?" 

The old woman sat still a moment, and 
then, as if resuming her story, told the 
legend of 

THE DOG. 

One evening a strange creature came to 
old Night-killer's lodge ; it looked much like 
a coyote, but it was larger. The strange 
animal spoke to old Night-killer and his 
aged squaw and said, "I am a dog. I came 
from the northwest to watch your tepee, to 
draw your lodge poles and to help you in 
every way I can. I will serve you, but my 
young shall serve the other Cheyennes." 

When the tribe moved out again they 
crossed the great river in canoes. When 
they began to travel by land the dog 
dragged two poles, one fastened to either 
side of her body. Over these poles, behind 

41 



HOISTAH 

the dog, a skin was fastened from one pole 
to the other, and into this travois or sledge 
the camp things of old Night-killer were 
placed. Old Night-killer and his aged 
squaw, free from burdens, were then able to 
keep up with the tribe, as they followed the 
herds of game far to the west. 

When the tribe, after many years, camp M 
in these hills, everybody had dogs, all tepe<'j 
and camps were circular and opened to tiff 
sunrise, and the great sun-dance was otw 
served by all Cheyennes. < 

Hesitating for only a moment, old Littlij 
Woman then began to tell them the legeno 
of 

THE SACRED ARROWS. 

For a long time our people lived in peace 
in this western home but the Ho'ha (stone 
boiler people or Assiniboian Indians) an- 
noyed them, and finally a great battle was * 

42 



LEGENDS 

fought between these tribes, and in the bat- 
tle the Cheyennes lost. 

One Cheyenne chief, after the defeat, re- 
fused all comfort, but alone in the mountains 
he fasted and prayed. He could see only 
trouble for his people in the future. One 
day in this forest a stranger approached 
nim and said, "Go to a cave at the foot of 
» lis hill and you will find four arrows. 
l 7ith these arrows the Cheyennes will al- 
ays win. Never lose them." Then at 
nee this strange man mysteriously disap- 
peared, and the Cheyenne went to the foot 
)f the hill as he had been directed to do, 
md sure enough the arrows were there in 
the cave. Again the Cheyennes made war 
on the Hoha, and the prophecy of victory 
came true. This prophecy of victory came 
true not only with the "Stone Boilers" but 
, with all others, until two of the sacred ar- 

43 



HOISTAH 

rows were lost in a battle with Pawnees 
many years later. 

The Cheyennes always guard these sacred 
arrows. Even to this day they are kept in 
a tepee watched over by some wise and able 
warrior. Down in the valley below this 
camp all alone, now stands the tepee of the 
sacred arrows, but we must never, never try 
to approach it, for it is strictly guarded, and 
besides it is very sacred. 

As the guests of Little Woman retraced 
their steps homeward Hoistah noticed again 
the northern lights, still playing in the sky, 
pale white in colour and fantastic in form, 
but tirelessly changing. 



44 



CHAPTER VI 

The Long Trail 

Early the next spring a party of white 
men came to the Cheyenne camp to trade 
for horses. The warriors of Iron Shirt's 
tribe were especially rich in ponies and 
traded some of them with the strange men. 
For ten days the trading continued, and 
then the visitors went on to the west, taking 
many Cheyenne ponies with them, but leav- 
ing in exchange guns and ammunition for 
the warriors, as well as blankets, clothes, 
beads and ornaments for all the Cheyenne 
tribe. 

Hoistah, like every other Cheyenne, had 
been provided with some of these luxuries. 
She had a dress made of beautiful cloth; 

45 



HOISTAH 

not in the style of modern, white women's 
dresses, of course — but very bright and gay 
in colour. Over this new dress she wore a 
large shawl bought from the traders; nor 
were these all the luxuries she enjoyed, 
either, for she had a new dolly, and it too 
had a cloth dress, and its Cheyenne cradle 
was covered with cloth. Often Hoistah, 
with her new luxuries, walked over the 
grassy meadows, or sat among the wild 
flowers talking to her dolly or singing to it 
an Indian lullaby. 

One day the Cheyennes decided to follow 
the elk and buffalo herds down the 
Missouri River to a trading post of which 
the white men had told them. It would be 
a long trail, of course, but they would be 
able to trade furs, elk teeth and buffalo 
robes to the white men at the end of it. 
They still had many ponies too, and perhaps 

46 




Hoistah 



THE LONG TRAIL 

they could exchange some more of them for 
other luxuries. 

Hoistah had learned by this time that the 
Beautiful cloth dress would not stand the 
rough usage of camp life, in fact, her dress 
was badly torn and soiled. It had been 
soiled many times for that matter, and 
repeated washings had dimmed its bright 
colours, but the shawl was still as bright as 
ever. 

So it was that when the Cheyennes were 
preparing for this journey all the beautiful 
dresses were stored away in a cache or hid- 
ing place. Hoistah's cloth dress and her 
dolly in its cradle were placed in the cache 
with the others, and again she appeared in 
her strong doeskin dress ready to mount her 
sturdy little spotted pony and ride with the 
tribe. 

The Cheyennes followed the game trails 

47 



HOISTAH 

down the valley of the Cheyenne River to 
the Missouri River, and far out among the 
immense herds of buffaloes. Every war- 
rior was well armed and well mounted. 
Every woman and child was mounted, too, 
and in addition to the weight of the woman 
or child their little spotted ponies drew the 
travois containing the property of the tribe. 
The best ponies were reserved for the men, 
however, and they bore no extra burden. 
Each of these choice ponies bore only its one 
rider — the warrior. Proudly they gal- 
loped over the boundless grassy meadows 
urged forward by the Cheyenne warriors in 
pursuit of game ; but the other ponies, bear- 
ing the heavier burdens, kept the straight 
trail and trudged along tirelessly with their 
loads. Hoistah rode one of these, with its 
travois dragging behind it. 

One morning Running Wolf reported 

48 



THE LONG TRAIL 

that many buffaloes were grazing on a 
grassy upland near a cliff and could be 
easily driven over. He had examined the 
cliff and knew where to lead the herd if he 
were allowed to act as decoy. He said he 
had located a convenient crevice into which 
he could drop and conceal himself safely 
until the herd passed over his hiding place to 
their own destruction. And so a buffalo 
hide and horns were given him, and the 
drivers, following his direction, prepared 
for the roundup. 

Soon the decoy "buffalo" appeared on a 
high mound or cliff overlooking the river. 
Quietly, all the time, the buffaloes were 
grazing in the open meadow, half a mile 
back from the cliff but in plain view. Sud- 
denly the mounted Cheyennes appeared in 
a semi-circle behind the buffaloes and the 
herd, retreating from them, came nearer and 

49 



HOISTAH 

nearer to the decoy. Faster came the 
Cheyenne hunters, and soon the retreat of 
the buffaloes became a panic-stricken flight. 
The leaders of the frightened herd seeing 
the decoy "buffalo" made straight for him, 
of course, and as the hunters saw the suc- 
cess of their scheme they joyfully urged 
their ponies forward, yelling furiously and 
firing their guns. On came the buffaloes, 
up to the decoy and over the deadly fall at 
full speed. 

The women and children with the ponies 
and travois of the tribe, from a wooded 
mound some distance to the south, waited for 
the success of the enterprise, ready to ride to 
the slaughter pit for their share of buffalo 
hides. Hoistah watched with keenest in- 
terest the whole movement, but when she 
saw the decoy "buffalo" overtaken by the 
herd and knocked headlong over the cliff, 

50 



THE LONG TRAIL 

followed by the frightened buffaloes plung- 
ing to their doom, her heart sank within her, 
for she felt that in some way Running Wolf 
had miscalculated, and had been run down 
by the herd in its last desperate struggle. 

Just then the word was given to move 
forward, and the ponies started on a lope 
down the long hillside into the valley and 
up beneath the fatal bluff, where all dis- 
mounted and began the work of skinning 
the dead buffaloes and packing the buffalo 
hides. 

Hoistah helped until it seemed her arms 
were almost broken and her back ached. 
At last the hunters came and with them, 
a greater hero than ever, Running Wolf. 
He explained how he had run to the edge 
of the bluff and quickly fastened the buffalo 
hide on a bush just at the edge of the peril- 
ous cliff, and then dropped into a crevice 

51 



HOISTAH 

safely as the first buffaloes came up. 
Hoistah admired and praised his skill, as 
with renewed vigor she resumed her work 
as her mother's helper. 

In two days the Indians moved forward 
again, the ponies hardly strong enough to 
draw the added weight of hundreds and 
hundreds of buffalo hides. The wolves 
feasted and fattened for weeks on the re- 
mains left behind. 

Once at the trading post the Cheyennes 
soon disposed of their wares and again 
moved forward, this time across the plains 
into the valley of the Platte River. They 
stayed there several weeks and then the main 
body of the Cheyennes went on toward the 
Black Hills to make their winter camp — 
only Iron Shirt and a small band lingered 
for several days and followed leisurely up 
the Platte valley, expecting every day to 

52 



THE LONG TRAIL 

meet some traders who had promised to 
meet them in the upper Platte valley at the 
end of the hunting season. 

The grass was dry, and most of the game 
had sought other pastures, so that Iron 
Shirt thought the traders had disappointed 
him, and hence he decided to leave the valley 
and go directly home as fast as he could, 
in order to avoid being caught in the winter 
storms before he should reach camp. 

One evening a lone buffalo was killed, 
and Meneah was deputed to bring the meat 
on to camp. Hoistah stayed to help her. 
They had just loaded the choice meat on 
Meneah's travois and the hide on Hoistah's, 
when they beheld a prairie fire, which had 
broken out to the southward and was sweep- 
ing rapidly toward them. The wind was 
strong, so that the flames came on rapidly, 
and though the two belated travellers urged 

53 



HOISTAH 

their sturdy ponies forward, the flames 
crept up closer and closer to them. 

Meneah saw at last that they must leave 
the open prairie where tall grass impeded 
their ponies' progress and take to one of 
the numerous buffalo trails leading to the 
river. If the flames came too close to them 
they would have to leave their loads, and 
let the ponies be unimpeded in making the 
run for safety. So Meneah and Hoistah 
started on parallel paths for the river. 

But soon Hoistah noted that their paths 
diverged, and before long she was far away 
from her mother. She thought the trails 
would again approach each other, or at least 
each lead to the river, so she rode on and on. 
Alas, she observed before long, that her path 
had gradually turned away from the river 
and the flames cut her off from safety. 
They were close upon her, and escape 

54 



THE LONG TRAIL 

seemed impossible. But she did not hesi- 
tate. Quickly she dismounted, and free- 
ing the pony from its load, lashed it away 
from the hot breath of the flames, to seek 
safety in flight as best it could. For her- 
self, taking the fresh buffalo hide, she placed 
it furry side up over the path and rolled 
herself up in it, and the wild prairie fire 
roaring and leaping up passed harmlessly 
over her in its mad race of destruction. 



55 



CHAPTER VII 

The Long Trail (Continued) 

Hoistah's pony ran for life along the 
path it had been following, and just ahead 
of the coming flames, plunged into a 
shallow prairie lake among a band of Kiowa 
Indians, who had taken refuge there, 
mounted on their ponies. 

The Kiowas knew at once that this new- 
comer was a Cheyenne pony and that they 
must be close to their most dreaded foes — 
the Cheyennes of the Black Hills. 

Not waiting for the prairie to cool or 
even for the fire to die out in the burnt 
stubble, they quickly encased the feet of 
their ponies in pieces of fresh buffalo hide, 
for protection, and started for the south. 

56 



THE LONG TRAIL 

One of their scouts, Bear Tongue, saw 
Hoistah, who almost as soon as the flames 
passed, had begun to retrace her steps, fol- 
lowing the path, in which of course there 
was no burning stubble. Knowing her to 
be a Cheyenne and fearing that he had been 
seen by her, the warrior was quick to decide 
that the safety of his people depended upon 
his capturing her before she could tell her 
own people that the Kiowas were near. He 
overtook her easily, and soon Hoistah, 
bound securely, found herself again on a 
pony, in front of a Kiowa squaw, the band 
riding at a furious rate southward over the 
scorched plains, with Hoistah a captive. 
To make matters worse for her, just at dark 
a downpour of rain cooled the earth and 
obliterated the telltale trail which the re- 
treating Kiowas had followed with her. 

Camp was made finally and sentinels 

57 



HOISTAH 

posted. What should she do ? Hoistah for 
a long, long time feigned sleep. At last she 
tried ever so gently to untie one of her hands. 
A quick rude jerk at the rawhide thong told 
her that the squaw who held it was not 
asleep and that prisoners in the hands of 
Kiowas could not easily escape. At last 
she slept herself, worn out. 

After several hours a sudden tumult 
roused her, and she sat up just as a wounded 
Kiowa guard was borne into camp and 
brought before the medicine man at the 
camp-fire only a few paces from her. At 
a single glance Hoistah saw the sign of three 
notches framing a triangle on the shaft of 
the arrow which had wounded him and in- 
stantly she knew that it had been Irion Shirt 
that directed the fatal missile ; she knew too 
that he had used a bow and arrow, not be- 
cause he had no better weapon, but in order 

58 



THE LONG TRAIL 

to avoid noise. The continuous tumult told 
her that the Kiowas were out after him. In 
a little while a gun, the sound of which she 
thought familiar, told her that another 
Kiowa was down. During the dead silence 
that immediately followed the rapid hoof 
beats of a lone pony sounded over the 
prairie. Hoistah rightly guessed that Iron 
Shirt had come alone on the Kiowa trail, 
and, failing to rescue her, had nevertheless 
dealt a blow to his enemies. Now, mounted 
on his favourite black and white stallion in 
the open prairie, gun in hand, he was really 
out of danger and away. Still, she was 
there yet, and as the camp tumult again 
arose and evil glances were directed toward 
her a sense of loneliness stole over her in 
spite of herself. The little girl would have 
hardly borne it had not the proud Cheyenne 
spirit of her people asserted itself. Quietly 

59 



HOISTAH 

she lay down again upon the wet earth be- 
side the buffalo robe of her custodian — a 
prisoner in the hands of bitter enemies, but 
free from fear, a true Cheyenne, Hoistah, a 
signal-light-girl, in the darkest time she had 
known as yet. 

The body of the second Kiowa, at whom 
Iron Shirt had aimed when she heard his 
shots, Hoistah never saw again, by which 
she knew that he had no need of the 
medicine man, that one touch of the 
Cheyenne warrior's vengeance had been 
enough. 

The next day the Kiowa squaws beat 
Hoistah several times and were so threaten- 
ing in their attitude that Bear Tongue, fear- 
ing they might kill her and thus deprive him 
of a valuable slave, took her as prisoner into 
his own custody. 

Thereafter, when his duties called him 

60 



THE LONG TRAIL 

from the camp, his son, young Standing 
Elk, took charge of the captive. 

In two weeks the Kiowas reached their 
own winter camp, and Hoistah's drudgery 
began in earnest. Old Bear Tongue never 
abused her, and often spoke kindly to her, 
but her life was hard all winter. 

The next summer a band of Kiowa 
hunters, w T hile in the Platte valley, were 
set upon by Iron Shirt's warriors and only 
three came back to camp. Bear Tongue 
was one of these three, and he had two 
fingers missing from his left hand and there 
was an ugly scar on his face that he bore 
always thereafter. He never again pro- 
tected Hoistah and her lot was not an easy 
one, under her other guardians, but as she 
grew and gained in strength she was de- 
termined that some day she would defend 
herself and make an escape. 

61 



HOISTAH 

Two winters and two summers passed. 
The third summer of Hoistah's captivity the 
Kiowas visited the Wichitas, in their village 
of grass houses in the south, and Hoistah ac- 
companied them there. One of the young 
warriors of the Wichitas offered a pony for 
the girl but old Bear Tongue refused the 
offer, as her captor thought she would be 
fully grown in another year or two and be 
worth three or four ponies, and, in the mean- 
time, her work was worth her keep. 
Hoistah, of course, had no part in this pro- 
posed exchange, and only learned of it 
through young Standing Elk. By this time 
Hoistah could understand and speak the 
Kiowa language, and communication was 
easy, for good or bad news. Standing Elk 
told his companion, young Black Duck, too, 
of the young Wichita's offer of a pony for 
Hoistah and its refusal and Black Duck 

62 



THE LONG TRAIL 

secretly decided to possess the pretty Chey- 
enne girl for himself. 

One day not long afterward Bear 
Tongue's squaw, dissatisfied with some of 
Hoistah's work, struck her, and Hoistah re- 
sented the chastisement. In the height of 
the excitement that followed young Black 
Duck, who happened to be riding by, 
quickly intervened in the combat, and sent 
the old squaw, smarting from the lashes he 
gave her, to the tepee. From this time on 
he began to pay noticeable attention to Hois- 
tah, so much so that all the Kiowas derided 
him. Bear Tongue's squaw said to Black 
Duck's mother, "Your boy is a fool. He is 
trying to steal our slave, but you know the 
Kiowa law. Whenever I catch him with 
her I am coming straight to your tepee and 
take your Navajoe blankets and your 
beaded belt." "No," said the other squaw. 

63 



HOISTAH 

"He is not a fool. He may steal the girl, 
but you are not smart enough to catch him ; 
if you do, I agree to abide by our ancient 
custom. Whenever you are smart enough 
to catch my son love-making come on and 
help yourself." 

Young Black Duck did in a way make 
love to Hoistah, watched out for her and 
championed her ; but she, though grateful to 
him for his protection, did not really care for 
him. 

Four years had almost passed in her 
captivity for Hoistah before something of 
importance to her came about. In council 
one morning the Kiowas decided that, since 
they could no longer hunt in the Platte 
valley in peace because of the attacks of the 
Cheyennes, they would go to the valley of 
the Arkansas and take the whole tribe with 
them for the hunting season. 

64 



THE LONG TRAIL 

Bear Tongue as camp crier was still call- 
ing in heavy tones at different points of the 
camp, "To-morrow the whole tribe will move 
to the valley of the Arkansas River to hunt," 
when from a clump of bushes near her Hois- 
tah at her work heard Black Duck say to her, 
"To-night you will find a pony tied beneath 
the big cottonwood tree at the third bend of 
the river below our camp. At the foot 
of the tree are a blanket and dried meat. 
On the second morning from now you can be 
at the double mountain half-way from here 
to the Wichita village. I will be there wait- 
ing for you. What say you?" Hoistah an- 
swered : "It cannot be worse than this life. 
I thank you. Go quickly." 

As all the Kiowas, in the confusing times 
following the camp crier's announcement, 
were busy in their various ways they did not 
notice young Black Duck, within an hour or 

65 



HOISTAH 

so, leaving the camp on one pony, leading 
another with a pack upon its back. Neither 
did they notice Hoistah at dusk disappear 
into the grove by the river bank. 

Hoistah had fully made up her mind as to 
what she was going to do before she left the 
camp, and when she found the pony and 
the provisions in the place Black Duck had 
told her of, she took them as her own and 
rode in the opposite direction, away from the 
double mountain — toward her own people. 
All night she rode, crossing and re-crossing 
the river to cover her trail should any one 
pursue. But no one followed. In the 
Kiowa camp every one said, "I thought so. 
Black Duck has stolen old Bear Tongue's 
slave girl." 

As for Black Duck he knew that Hoistah 
cared little for him, but he thought to 
get a wife, and an industrious one too, at 

66 




Swimming Across After Her 



THE LONG TRAIL 

small cost. All the next day and far on into 
the night he rode on to the double mountain, 
but nowhere found the trail of Hoistah. 
After two days waiting in vain he sought the 
tribe again in the valley of the Arkansas and 
learned that Hoistah was not with them. 
Black Duck never told how Hoistah escaped, 
but he could never give a satisfactory ex- 
planation as to his other pony. However, 
he told what no one could disprove, and what 
was in a way partly true, when he said it had 
strayed away while he was on the road to the 
country of the Wichitas. 

When Hoistah left the Kiowa camp she 
was followed by her faithful dog, a little 
four-footed friend who had been more kind 
to her than any one else in camp, not ex- 
cepting Black Duck. Try as she would she 
could not induce the doggy to cease follow- 
ing her. Whenever she crossed the river at 

67 



HOISTAH 

night or by day she would be sure to see him 
swimming across after her, always keep- 
ing out of harm's way in hie ; mrsuit of her. 

On the afternoon of the first day she hob- 
bled her pony and turned him loose to graze. 
After eating of the dried meat and giving 
a portion of it to her obstinate, faithful dog 
she wrapped herself in the blanket and slept. 
When she awoke it was nearly morning 
again as she could tell by the moon. 

Again she ate of the meat, fed the dog 
his portion, found the pony, and mounting 
left the timber of the river valley to ride 
straight across the open prairies toward the 
north star — toward the dear old Black Hills 
and home. 



68 



CHAPTER VIII 

End Of The Long Trail 

When the morning sun came out and 
warmed the earth, Hoistah dropped the 
blanket from her shoulders, and rode 
steadily forward through the great sea of 
waving grass, often looking back to see if 
she were being pursued. When she could 
urge the tired pony no farther she dis- 
mounted, ate her share of the dried meat as 
before, gave a small portion to the dog and 
slept in the w'arm sun. 

Late in the afternoon she awoke and 
started onward, but the pony was tired and 
lame and could hardly go. Lucky it was 
for the dog too, for if Hoistah had travelled 
at the same rapid rate as on the first night 

69 



HOISTAH 

and day the dog would have had to fall be- 
hind and be eaten by the wolves. As night 
settled down the pony seemed to recover 
somewhat his usual strength but he was still 
lame. Very slowly the little group moved 
on over the plains, the coyotes, disturbed by 
the travellers, howling dolefully as they 
passed. Far into the night they travelled, 
and at last, almost overcome with sleepi- 
ness, Hoistah was about to decide to camp 
for the night when a huge dark moving mass 
far ahead of her claimed her attention. In 
a second she had stopped her pony and 
recognised by the sounds that the moving 
object was a herd of buffaloes passing 
across her trail. The trail would be blocked 
for miles and miles ahead of her, and so 
she dismounted to await the coming of day- 
light and the passing of the herd. She ate 
a little more of the dried meat, but could 

70 



END OF THE LONG TRAIL 

give none to the dog, so very little of it all 
remained. 

Morning came and the buffaloes were 
just passing out of sight, leaving the way 
open to resume her journey northward. 
She had no water that morning, nor had the 
pony or the dog had anything to drink since 
the morning before. 

She ate a little of the meat as she rode 
along, but the unusual heat of the sun and 
her thirst distressed her. That day she did 
not look back so frequently, for she felt 
certain no Kiowas were trailing her. Sev- 
eral times during the forenoon she was com- 
pelled to stop that the pony might rest. 
About ten o'clock she saw signs of rain. 
As soon as she was sure she dismounted, 
and, with the knife she had brought with 
her, quickly dug up the earth, scooping it 
out with her hands into a kind of basin, with 

71 



HOISTAH 

a little ravine to form a pool and catch as 
much as possible of the water. The rain 
came and she took shelter beneath her pony ; 
the clouds passed by and the three thirsty 
travellers drank long at the little pool, Hois- 
tah first, and then the dog and the pony 
both at the same time. Hoistah ate what 
was left of her dried meat and the pony, 
refreshed, ate of the grass. There was no 
food for the dog — but he did not need it, 
for soon, in accordance with the due law of 
need and Cheyenne custom he was con- 
verted into meat. The choice portions of 
him were prepared and taken, and Hoistah 
with her supply of dog meat rode on over the 
great plains northward. 

Gradually the pony recovered from the 
lameness caused by the first hard riding and 
each day found the travellers some thirty or 
forty miles further to the north. 

72 



END OF THE LONG TRAIL 

No flint was to be found on the plains, 
therefore Hoistah could make no fire or 
cook her meat. She was compelled to keep 
on travelling and so she could not dry the 
meat and it soon spoiled; then starvation 
again threatened. Turning from the open 
plains, Hoistah rode westward toward the 
mountains where some small game, some 
berries or wild fruit might be found. Sub- 
sisting upon what fruit and berries she 
could find she went on northward through 
the foot-hills. 

Late one evening she discovered some 
mountain quail in their covey beneath 
a bunch of grass, and striking at them with 
a heavy stick she killed three of them. She 
found a flint too and with her knife handle, 
she obtained sparks by means of which she 
ignited some small fragments of dried bark 
and started a fire. She broiled her game at 

73 



HOISTAH 

the fire and for a time again knew no 
hunger. 

The night winds were cold in the foot- 
hills, she found, and she kept up the fire. 
Well for her she did that night, for the 
wolves, smelling the game, came about her 
camp in great numbers, and but for the 
fire and their fear of it would no doubt have 
caused her trouble. She gathered a great 
pile of wood and all night kept the fire 
blazing. When she slept, leaning against 
a large boulder, the fire at her feet protected 
her, for wolves will not come very close to 
fire at night. At intervals she would awake 
and replenish the blaze. Several times she 
threw burning brands among the hungry 
pack of wolves and routed them. 

She had a good breakfast of more quail 
and rode on, but found no dinner and no 
supper. At night she again built a fire 

74 



END OF THE LONG TRAIL 

at her camp though no wolves came. Rid- 
ing on again, early the next morning she 
came upon a trail in which the prints of the 
"strong moccasions of the white man" 
showed. She followed this and presently 
came to a lone cabin. Long she sat on her 
pony before the cabin patiently. At last a 
smoke appeared over the cabin, noise came 
from within, and a man came out. 

The man, a frontiersman, quickly got his 
long rifle, and spoke to Hoistah gruffly. 

"What ye want? Be keerful — no foolin' 
round here — I know you Kiowas." 

Hoistah, recognising the word "Kiowa" 
and guessing that he thought her one, shook 
her head and quickly made the sign for 
Cheyenne — three strokes across the left 
wrist with the fingers of the right hand. 
The white man then addressed her in the 
sign language and also spoke a few 

75 



HOISTAH 

words of the Cheyenne tongue. Easily he 
understood her story, and knew she 
wanted to find her own people, the 
Cheyennes. 

He brought her dried vension in great 
quantities and of most excellent quality, also 
some bread, a smaller quantity but not of 
such excellent quality. Next he gave her 
the skin of a mountain sheep partly filled 
with water. When these were packed on 
her pony he directed her, in sign language, 
to ride northeast into the plains about four 
days' journey. There, according to his be- 
lief, she would find the Cheyennes hunting 
buffaloes. 

As Hoist ah rode away he said, "Well, 
she's only a chile but she sartainly must be 
Cheyenne; no Kiowa about that Injun gal. 
Guess I'll jist stick around the shack to- 
day and keep my ammunition handy any- 

76 



END OF THE LONG TRAIL 

how." Hoistah passed out of sight. On, 
with a heart full of hope and gratitude, she 
rode, the little Cheyenne maiden, into the 
northern part of the upper Platte valley, to 
the hunting grounds of her people. 

Packed on her pony she had now a good 
supply of food and plenty of water for a 
long journey. The pony could get enough 
water to keep him alive from the dew he got 
with the grass at night and early morning, 
and from occasional drinking at streams 
and prairie lakes. 

On the morning of the third day Hoistah 
thought she caught a glimpse of something 
that moved in the grass not far in front of 
her, and stopped her pony quickly, but she 
could see nothing plain. Knowing the risk 
she ran if a Cheyenne scout should mistake 
her for a Kiowa, as the white man at the 
cabin had, she made the sign of the Chey- 

77 



HOISTAH 

enne, and that sign perhaps saved her life, 
for the best scout of Iron Shirt's young 
Cheyenne braves at that very instant had 
levelled a long rifle at her at a distance of 
some sixty yards. It was the movement of 
this same scout she had noticed in the grass, 
and he had carefully concealed himself im- 
mediately thereafter. 

Soon Running Wolf, for this famous 
scout was no other, looked closely at 
Hoistah, lowered the deadly piece, and 
placing his hands to his mouth imitated the 
hooting of an owl four times in succession. 
Hoistah answered in Cheyenne, "Dzi'- 
tsista's!" (Our own people.) "I am 
Hoistah." 

At once a tall Cheyenne arose from his 
hiding place and came forward to the 
weary wanderer. Hoistah, calling him by 
name, drew his hand to her cheek. Run- 

78 




White Fool's Cabin 



END OF THE LONG TRAIL 

ning Wolfe said, "It is well," and he drew 
Hoistah's blanket about them; thus, as she 
sat on her pony and the tall Cheyenne stood 
beside her, they were drawn face to face and 
lip to lip in the primitive marriage ceremony 
of the tribe. 

Hoistah related the story of her four 
years as briefly as she could, and a signal 
from the scout soon brought the Cheyenne 
hunting party to them. 

Iron Shirt took his lost child's head be- 
tween his hands and held her for a long 
time. Then he said to Running Wolf, 
"Keep her with my blessing." 

Hoistah noticed that her father bore a 
deep scar on his breast and that one arm 
had been mangled. He looked much older, 
and thus she knew that he had fought the 
Kiowas not only bravely but recklessly and 
relentlessly. But she could not speak, lest 

79 



HOISTAH 

she should disclose unseeming emotion 
to him. 

That night she told of the white man and 
his kindness, and the old chief said, "It is 
'White Fool.' We saved him from death 
at the hands of the Sioux Indians once. 
He was digging gold then ; he is still at that 
foolishness." 

Some days later Iron Shirt found the 
white man and gave him a pony. 

The hunting trip was cut short presently 
because there were no prospects for Kiowa 
scalps, and the party returned to the Black 
Hills and Hoistah's "Long Trail" ended 
at home. 



80 



CHAPTER IX 
At Home 

When the Cheyenne hunting party came 
home and Hoistah's return was made 
known there was great rejoicing in the 
camp. Her marriage to the popular young 
warrior, Running Wolf, was a bit of news 
for the squaws at least to revel in further. 

Running Wolf's people brought skins 
and poles for a tepee, and Hoistah's peo- 
ple brought blankets, buckskin, and house- 
hold implements, so that the new home was 
soon completed in all details. Drying 
meat in abundance hung on rawhide strings 
stretched from tree to tree about the 
new tepee. Running Wolf was a skilful 
hunter, but the labours of the husband did 

81 



HOISTAH 

not in any wise surpass those of his mate, 
for the industry and skill of Hoistah in 
domestic duties were remarkable even 
among Cheyenne girls. 

When the corn and pumpkins were ripe 
Hoistah, with her pony and travois laboured 
with the other women till all the homes were 
provided with plenty. Next the deer 
hides were dressed, and in this labour 
Hoistah excelled and helped too. In the 
fall the warriors went to a trading post that 
had lately been established on the upper 
Missouri River to get blankets, cloth, guns, 
ammunition and such other supplies as 
might be needed. Running Wolf went with 
them; he had many furs, skins and ponies 
to exchange, and promised to bring back 
some bright cloth for Hoistah. He would 
bring her some pretty beads too, he said, 
that during the stormy weather she might 

82 



AT HOME 

lse in decorating moccasions and clothes, 
rhe traders were gone for several weeks, 
Hoistah and the other women remaining 
)ehind, busy in their various ways at home. 

One day Hoistah, with several other 
vomen, went far westward from camp to 
rather nuts. They were gone all day, so 
hat they were not in camp when, about 
riidday, the traders returned with their sup- 
dies from the trading post of the white 
len. 

Running Wolf had brought back all he 
ad promised to bring and much more. 
Lmong other luxuries he had bought a 
anvas tepee. Eagerly he took the skins 
rom the tepee poles and placed the new 
anvas thereon, proud that he had now a 
ew tepee made by white men. In this 
ew tepee were placed the many things he 
ad brought from the trading post, and 

83 



HOISTAH 

around it grazed his tired ponies glad to be 
relieved of burdens. 

Several times during the afternoon he waj 
seen standing by the new tepee and looking 
for Hoistah, who just at sunset returned 
with the other women of the nutting party, 
Their ponies each bore t\*o baskets, one on 
either side fastened together by a strip oi 
rawhide, and every basket was rilled witl: 
nuts. 

That night, as darkness settled over th^ 
valley, a large camp fire was lighted, glad 
voices joined the rhythmic sounds of the tom« 
toms, and hundreds of tireless feet moved 
in unison with the fantastic music. 

As Hoistah joined in the social dance i 
seemed to her a long, long time ago thai 
she had been a slave girl in old Beai 
Tongue's camp on the Washita River. Bu 
she rejoiced that the old Kiowa had not ad 

84 



AT HOME 

?pted the young Wichita's offer and 
oomed her to a life in a grass house among 
le plains and mountains far to the south, 
sometimes she thought of Black Duck and 
fished that she could, in some way, have re- 
paid him for the protection he gave her. 
jhit, she thought ' , he is a Kiowa. 
|Lgain the voice of Iron Shirt drew her 
yes to him, as by oral commands he directed 
lie dance, and the mangled arm and the 
( eep scar on his breast appeared; then her 
} eart hardened toward the whole Kiowa 
ribe. 

} Soon the swell of the singers' voices, the 
eroic words telling of the valour of the 
^heyennes of old, or the deep tones of Run- 
ning Wolf's voice as he spoke to her in pass- 
r ig, filled her soul with so much joy that she 
jOrgot all her past sufferings, almost forgot 
,ven her enemies. 

85 



HOISTAH 

When the eastern sky was lighted by the 
rising sun the Cheyenne said, "We are sat- 
isfied," and Hoist ah walked with Running 
Wolf to their new tepee. Once at home 
they spread before themselves the presents 
they had received at the dance, and Hoistah 
said, "I never thought in the days of my 
bondage that I should be so rich." All 
day they slept. 

That night and many other nights dur- 
ing the winter the Cheyennes sat in groups 
about their camp-fires and told of adven- 
tures, or repeated legends and traditions of 
their tribe. 

Hoistah's home was often sought upon 
these winter evenings, when she would re- 
late the adventures of her captive life and 
the traditions of the Kiowas. One winter's 
night there was among her guests her very 
feeble and withered old grandmother, Little 

86 



AT HOME 

Woman, now childish and ill, who had asked 
Meneah to take her to Hoistah's tepee that 
she too might hear some of the legends of 
the Kiowas. 

Tenderly Hoistah received the feeble old 
woman, and, at her bidding, related the 
legend of 

THE KIOWA MEDICINE MAN. 

Once an old woman of the Kiowas was 
neglected by her children, so that she often 
suffered for want of food. 

One evening there came to her tepee a 

poor boy who had neither parents, home, 

nor tribe. "Good old lady, may I live 

in your tepee?" asked the boy. "I have 

only a handful of parched corn and a 

few berries but I will divide with 

you," said the old lady. The boy lived 

with her, but they were still poor and 

: neglected. 

87 



HOISTAH 

When the boy became a youth he provided 
food and shelter for the old lady. 

One year there was a famine, and the 
chief, Sitting Bear, in a final effort to re- 
lieve distress, passed through all the camp 
asking if any one could suggest a way of 
securing food, for he said his people must 
soon have relief or perish. 

Now the youth who lived with the poor 
old woman was favoured by the great spirit, 
so he called the chief and said, "If you and 
all the Kiowas will follow my directions you 
will get plenty of food soon." And old 
Sitting Bear agreed. 

First the youth caused a lone tepee to 
be erected in a river valley. Before the 
tepee a stone boiler filled with water was 
placed over the fire and the aged men were 
sent into the tepee to sing sacred songs. 
Then the youth, bearing a wand and dressed 

88 



AT HOME 

in an untanned deer skin worn as a robe, 
came in. Plucking some of the hairs from 
his robe he threw them into the boiling 
water. Then over the water he waved four 
times in succession first his medicine bag 
and then the wand. Finally he twisted the 
leg of the deer-hide robe he wore, and a 
deer was heard to bleat. 

Next he sent the old men back to camp 
and told them to assemble the whole tribe 
in a circle down by the river bank just be- 
fore daylight on the following morning. 
Each Kiowa was instructed further to bring 
a certain wild flower as an offering. 

When they assembled it was still dark, and 
a dense fog filled the air. The youth 
directed them to cast their presents of wild 
flowers within the circle and join hands. 
Following his directions they danced around 
this magic circle singing a sacred song. 

89 



HOISTAH 

When the fog arose the flowers were gone, 
but the circle was filled with deer and the 
famine was over. By that the Kiowas 
knew that the great spirit was with this 
youth who lived with the poor old woman. 

Old Little Woman said that, although the 
Kiowas were an evil tribe, this was a good 
legend. 

Other visitors came to Hoistah's tepee, 
and she would always tell them some legend, 
or relate some adventure that never failed 
to satisfy her guests. So passed the winter 
at home, until the snows melted. 

Early in the spring, when the elk shed 
their horns, the Cheyennes moved down into 
the valleys. 



90 



CHAPTER X 

The Sun-Dance 

On the night following the prairie fire in 
the Platte valley, when Iron Shirt failed to 
rescue Hoistah from the Kiowas, he had 
retreated alone, bearing a slight arrow 
wound himself and leaving one Kiowa dead 
and another dying. His warriors had pre- 
ceded him to the North, and the two old 
men and three boys in his party, ten or 
twelve miles from the Kiowa camp, knew 
that they could not, even when directed by 
the chief's skill and led by his valour, hope to 
overcome thirty or forty Kiowa warriors. 

As the disappointed chief rode back to 
his camp after his unsuccessful attempt 
he vowed to the great spirit that if ever 

91 



HOISTAH 

he could rescue Hoistah from the Kiowas he 
would make the "Lodge of the Willow 
Dance," that is, he would give the tribal 
sun-dance. This of course would put him 
to enormous expense, and yet it would be 
worth the almost unparalleled favour of 
the great spirit in permitting him an act 
that both his valour as a warrior and his par- 
ental instinct urged upon him. 

His tribe never knew the vow he had 
made, but had they known they would not 
have thought the warrior rested his case too 
completely upon the power of the Deity, for 
more than ample evidence was shown that 
Iron Shirt gave his full strength to the task. 
It seemed that the Cheyenne chief had de- 
termined upon a long war of extermination 
against the Kiowas. 

Thus it came about that one night, soon 
after Hoistah's return, Iron Shirt called his 

92 



THE SUN-DANCE 

war band, the Dog Warriors, together in 
council. When the members were all as- 
sembled in the warriors' lodge, Iron Shirt 
came in, his hands and face covered with 
red paint. He smoked the council pipe 
with the brothers of this ancient Cheyenne 
military order, and then arose and said: 

"One dark night all alone I trailed the 
Kiowas and watched their camp that I 
might recover my child they had stolen. 
Stealthily I approached their sentinel and 
my arrow pierced his body, but the aim 
was not good, for he raised his voice to his 
fellows. When I reached my pony I shot 
another of their warriors with my long rifle. 
As I rode back to my camp I promised the 
great spirit that if I could rescue my child 
from her captors I would make the Willow 
Lodge. I did not directly rescue her, but 
she is here. By my vow I am bound. 

93 



HOISTAH 

Every year I have fought the Kiowas, and 
I am far from rich. All that I have I now 
give to make the lodge, but it is not 
enough." 

Silence reigned for a full minute, and 
then old Yellow Hawk said: "Brothers of 
the Ancient Dog-Warrior Band, Iron 
Shirt's heart is true. He is our brother and 
our sworn companion. He has often led 
us to bloody victory. Shall this band of 
brothers help him make the Willow Lodge?" 
A chorus of voices answered, "Be it so," 
and then the band of warriors passed 
silently out into the night. 

One week later the band feasted and dis- 
cussed the time and place where the Willow 
or Sun-Dance Lodge should be raised. It 
was decided to make it as soon as the grass 
was full height and the willow and cotton- 
wood were in full leaf. The place desig- 

94 



THE SUN-DANCE 

nated was the lower Cheyenne River valley- 
near the south bank of the stream. 

All winter Iron Shirt collected paints, 
jerked meat, pipes, robes, medicine roots, 
feathers, and such other articles as would 
be needed, and his brothers of the Dog 
Band too contributed liberally. 

When due time arrived all was in readi- 
ness, and the man-sticks (forty- four 
brightly painted small willow sticks) were 
sent to the forty-four sub-chiefs of the tribe. 
Iron Shirt himself visited the leaders of all 
the sacred and military bands with special 
invitations. 

When the grass was full height and willow 
and cottonwood leaves were fully grown 
Iron Shirt and his brothers of the Dog- 
Warrior Band went to the valley of the 
Cheyenne River previously designated, and 
marked off a circle more than a mile in 

95 



HOISTAH 

diameter, indicating the places for each of 
the bands in the order of their impor- 
tance. 

The opening of the circle to the eastward 
was about a quarter of a mile wide. Im- 
mediately to the south of this opening a 
place was indicated for the sacred Aorta 
Band and the Dog- Warrior Band. At the 
north of the entrance a space was reserved 
for the Hive Band and the Buffalo-Bull 
Warrior Band; on the western rim of the 
circle were spaces for the Fur-Men Band, 
and for the Sutai or adopted people. Be- 
tween these several centres lesser bands were 
to be located. There were places for all, 
even the outlaws. 

The ancient order of the Sacred Arrow- 
Medicine led by Lame Bull came early the 
next morning, and before night Blue Horse 
had led in his band of Fox Warriors, and 

96 



THE SUN-DANCE 

in turn all the different bands, sacred and 
military, had arrived and their tepees were 
placed within the mighty circle — more than 
six hundred tepees. 

On the first day the tepee of Running 
Wolf was dedicated as the warrior tepee, so 
he and Hoistah moved out to give place for 
the secret councils. Black Wolf was 
selected High Priest on the second day, and 
the warrior tepee, being moved in toward 
the centre of the circle, became known as 
the Lone Tepee, and was thereafter given 
up to the priests. 

On the third day the priests and the 
Lodge Maker, Iron Shirt, abandoning the 
Lone Tepee, came into the open of the circle 
with their ceremonies. 

On that day Running Wolf in full war 
paint, armed and mounted, searched in the 
woods until a suitable tree for a lodge pole 

97 



HOISTAH 

was found, and then he addressed the tree 
as follows: "I went into the plains of the 
Platte River. I trailed the Kiowas. 
Three scalps hung at my belt. I was a boy 
then. Again as a young man I went into 
the same region and trailed the Kiowa war- 
riors. I rode with a band of young braves 
against them and few escaped our ven- 
geance. Seven Kiowa scalps were at my 
belt. I have trailed you far. You too shall 
fall!" Then he struck with his tomahawk 
four times, thus marking the tree for the 
great centre pole of the Willow Dance. 
Others following hewed it down, painted it 
and placed it upright for the centre pole of 
the mighty lodge. But first a bundle of 
willow branches was fastened to the top end 
of it as a nest for the great Thunder Bird. 
At the foot of the centre pole was the altar 
of branches, foliage, rainbow-sticks, and 

98 



THE SUN-DANCE 

sacred relics. Thus the Willow Lodge was 
completed. 

Then the priests and the Dog- Warrior 
Band in fantastic costumes — limb and 
bodies painted — danced the great sacred 
Sun-Dance, and the people joined in the 
worship. 

Running Wolf had been deeply inter- 
ested in Hoistah before her capture. He, 
too, during her captivity had made a vow. 
He had pledged that if he could rescue 
Hoistah from the Kiowas he would, at the 
next Sun-Dance of the tribe execute a dance 
suspended by the skin of his back from the 
lodge pole. He too, felt bound to fulfil 
his vow. Thus it was that old Red Shield, 
whom Running Wolf took into his con- 
fidence, went with the young warrior aside 
and cutting the skin on the young warrior's 
back fastened skewers therein and attached 

99 



HOISTAH 

new rawhide thongs to these. By these 
thongs, fastened to the lodge poles above, 
Red Shield drew Running Wolf up until 
his toes could just touch the ground. Thus 
Running Wolf danced. The skin tore 
loose from his back more and more. The | 
fresh rawhide finally stretched so that 
within an hour's time the warrior could 
dance back and forth for several paces. 
No shadow of pain crossed his face during 
the four long hours he danced to the music 
of the sacred songs and joined in the sing- 
ing, suspended by the skin of his back with 
rawhide thongs. 

When all vows were fulfilled and all cere- 
monies ended the great Cheyenne Tribe 
again separated into bands, and Iron Shirt's 
Band returned to their camp on the bank 
of the Cheyenne River among the Black 
Hills. 

100 



THE SUN-DANCE 

i When Iron Shirt's family, last to leave 
khe grounds, started home, Meneah had only 
one robe to carry of all she had brought; 
Iron Shirt would have been compelled to 
walk home had not a pony been given him. 
But in their ceremonies they had symbolised 
the re-creating of all things or the making of 
a new life ; and with his lost child recovered 
and his vow fulfilled the chief faced stoically 
the necessity of making a new start in 
everything. 



101 



CHAPTER XI 

Moni'nieo 
(women who have chosen) 

No form of household work was neglected 
by Hoistah, but in the making of moccasins 
and dress patterns she greatly desired to ex- 
cel. This desire was heightened, too, by the 
necessity of providing clothing for her 
child, little Elk Robe, who had come into her 
life the previous winter. Her wish to join 
the Guild of Decorative Art becoming 
known to the members of that industrial 
order she was permitted to become a mem- 
ber. 

Prospective members were always ex- 
pected to give presents to the individual 
members of the guild and to prepare a feast 

102 



MONI'NIEO 

for all. The feasting and the presents pro- 
vided for the members by Hoistah were of 
the usual kind, and without attracting un- 
due attention she became in time a full 
member. Soon, however, it became ob- 
vious to the mistress of the order that the 
new member was destined to achieve more 
distinction than her own in the chosen 
handicraft, for not only did Hoistah ex- 
hibit anxiety to learn but she showed great 
originality in designing. 

One day when the guild met, Hoistah ex- 
hibited to the members a pattern for a baby 
dress. It consisted of beaded work in four 
colours forming a simple cross and appear- 
ing four times in the pattern. Each part of 
each of the four designs contained four 
colours. 

Discussion of the proposed design became 
general, and finlly the leader said, "I can 

103 



HOISTAH 

see no merit in the pattern, but before a de- 
cision is given Hoistah may explain the 
symbolism of her design. She is now a full 
member of this guild and we must hear her, 
even if her design is poor and her arguments 
are worse." When the leader had ceased 
speaking, but before Hoistah had time to 
rise and reply, an old squaw said spitefully, 
"Possibly Hoistah can tell us how she 
borrowed that pattern from her friends 
the Kiowas." At this several members 
laughed, but when Hoistah arose all were 
silent. 

Unmindful of the thrust of this old 
querulous woman, Hoistah in a clear, calm 
voice and in an oratorical style that would 
have done credit to her illustrious father, 
said, "Sisters of this ancient Guild of Dec- 
orative Art, hear me patiently and then 
judge my design. This pattern is not bor- 

104 



MONFNIEO 

rowed from any one, but designed for my 
own little babe, as you know. Its symbol- 
ism is thus explained: 

"The four points composed by two lines 
crossing each other (at right angles) repre- 
sent the four directions, North, South, East 
and West. These directions should guide 
the child in all its travels; the four colours 
represent the four phases of each recurring 
day, daylight, night, dawn and twilight ; the 
cross occurs four times, representing the 
four phases of human life, infancy, youth, 
manhood and old age; collectively they in- 
dicate the hope of a mother that her child's 
conduct through life shall be true in each 
of the four parts of every day throughout 
the four possible periods that man may live. 
The centre of this symbolism is the sacred 
number four. It was on the fourth day 
after our first medicine man wxnt into the 

105 



HOISTAH 

cave of the earth that he returned with food 
for the starving Cheyennes; the fourth day 
from that time, game was given into our 
people; four is the number of sacred arrows 
that have often led our people to victory." 
Then pausing she said, "What is your judg- 
ment?" and a chorus of voices answered, 
"It is to be as your wisdom has designed." 
When Hoistah's pattern had been ap- 
proved by unanimous vote, and the judg- 
ment of their leader disapproved by the 
same vote, that meant a desire to change 
leaders. Then the former mistress of the 
guild and the old squaw who had made 
the disparaging remarks arose to leave 
the tepee, but Hoistah said, "Hold! Your 
vows as true Cheyennes keep you here and 
enjoin your co-operation; besides I need 
your help, the help of all my sisters and the 
approval of the great spirit if I in my early 

106 



MONI'NIEO 

womanhood must in obedience to these 
voices assume the direction of this Guild. 
Stay with us and help us." Then the for- 
mer mistress of the guild sat at Hoistah's 
feet, but the old squaw sat at the outer edge 
of the circle and all was again harmonious. 

Thereafter Hoistah studied that she 
might help her sisters who trusted her. The 
symbol of the sacred number "four" in 
various forms appeared more and more in 
the decorative art of this band of Cheyennes, 
and all were glad that Hoistah had been 
chosen as the leader of the guild. 

Under Hoistah's guidance the guild pros- 
pered. No new undertaking was begun 
except after prayer. The symbolism, too, 
always thereafter, was of a sacred nature, 
and the old, old people of the tribe said that 
Hoistah was best of all the leaders of the 
Mon inieo they had ever known. 

107 



CHAPTER XII 

Valley of the Arkansas 

For three winters more, after Hoistah 
became the mistress of her industrial guild, 
this band of Cheyennes camped in the Black 
Hills. Then the Cheyenne tribe made a 
treaty with the United States government, 
one of the terms of which was that all 
Cheyennes should leave the Black Hills and 
live in the valley of the Arkansas River. 
They were told that in this new locality they 
would be unmolested by hostile Indians and 
find plenty of game, and that the national 
government would contribute to their sup- 
port. 

It was understood, therefore, that when 
the tepees were taken down once more in the 

108 



VALLEY OF THE ARKANSAS 

Black Hills they would not again be placed 
in permanent positions until they came to 
southeastern Colorado. The old home was 
accordingly abandoned forever, and all the 
Cheyennes moved out over the plains to 
make a new one. Slowly they travelled, 
taking all their belongings with them, re- 
gretting the parting from the land of their 
fathers, but trusting the promises of the 
white man that peace and prosperity should 
be found in the valley of the Arkansas. 
They went on and on, day after day, week 
after week, until at last they camped on the 
bank of the Arkansas River in a new home 
— a land of promise. 

In their new home these Cheyennes fre- 
quently saw white men, traders, freighters 
on the Santa Fe trail and gold seekers, and 
learned much of their ways. The members 
of Iron Shirt's band were always glad to 

109 



HOISTAH 

be known as friends to the pale-faces and 
tried to adapt themselves to a new environ- 
ment, but not all of them succeeded. 

The skill of Running Wolf in hunting 
supplemented by occasional help from the 
Agency, kept Hoistah and her little ones 
from want, but many of the Cheyennes at 
this time actually suffered on account of 
a lack of proper food, shelter and clothing. 

Because of the presence of so many white 
men in their new home, and because the 
allotted hunting grounds w r ere too small, 
Cheyenne hunting parties frequently went 
far to the south. One party of Cheyenne 
hunters, about forty in -number, while in the 
south once, camped on the Washita River 
and were surprised and massacred by the 
Kiowas. 

When news of this atrocity reached the 
Cheyenne camp Iron Shirt at once led his 

110 



VALLEY OF THE ARKANSAS 

braves into Kiowaland to avenge the blood 
of his tribesmen. To the women left be- 
hind, no tidings came from them for several 
weeks, and Hoistah as well as the others of 
the camp began to fear that Iron Shirt's 
warriors too had become victims of Kiowa 
treachery and cruelty. 

No news came until, late one night, a 
tumult arose in camp and Running Wolf 
was carried wounded into his tepee in 
silence. In silence Hoistah brought her 
husband food, and silently he ate it. Then 
without a word he drew a blanket over him, 
reclined upon a buffalo robe and slept. 
With true Indian stoicism Hoistah had 
questioned him nothing, but as soon as she 
knew he was sound asleep she arose with a 
heavy heart and sought her mother's tent. 
Her mother never spoke or even looked up 
as Hoistah entered her tepee, but just sat 

111 



HOISTAH 

in silence. Hoistah, almost overcome with 
wonder and emotion, stole away home and 
on the path met her younger sister and 
heard how their father had fallen while 
leading a charge against the Kiowas and 
how Running Wolf had brought the chief - 
tian's body out before the Kiowas could take 
the scalplock, and, returning, had led the 
Cheyennes to victory — a dearly bought vic- 
tory but a decisive one. Hoistah heard also 
that Running Wolf had been chosen chief 
of their band of Cheyennes. She could not 
trust herself to speak for fear of showing 
the emotions she felt, as she entered her own 
home again. Long she sat in her tepee that 
winter's night, listening to the laboured 
breathing of her wounded husband, and, 
gazed at the dying embers of the tepee 
fire, pondering over the future of the 
Cheyennes. 

112 



VALLEY OF THE ARKANSAS 

In the morning Running Wolf told her 
at last of her father's death — such a death 
as an old warrior would desire — in the red 
battle. Then he added: "In death he 
wore his scalplock untouched by enemies." 
As to the chieftainship, he said: "To be 
chief now that we are subjected to laws not 
our own, and at a time when our old cus- 
toms are dying out, is not a glorious priv- 
ilege, but a duty. I shall serve." 

A few weeks later Running Wolf was 
able to leave his tepee and take up his new 
duties. The traders, the gold hunters, the 
freighters on the Sante Fe trail, and pass- 
ing strangers knew him as the lame Chey- 
enne chief, but they all trusted him. 

At last peace was made between the 
Kiowas and their allies, the Comanches, and 
wars in the south ceased. When the white 
men called a great peace council at Fort 

113 



HOISTAH 

Laramie a few years later, Sioux, Assini- 
boian, Crow, Mandan, Arikara, Cheyenne 
and Arapahoe warriors sat in council with 
white soldiers. The "lame" Cheyenne's 
voice was for peace, and peace was agreed 
to by all the western tribes present, before 
Running Wolf returned to his people. 
Soon after this an epidemic of cholera swept 
away many of the band of Cheyennes to 
which Hoistah and Running Wolf belonged, 
just as a few years before an epidemic of 
smallpox had destroyed fully half of their 
number. Among the victims of the later 
epidemic was the "lame" Cheyenne chief, 
Running Wolf, friend of the pale-face. 
Too few of the band remained now that they 
did not elect another chief, but joined with 
other Cheyenne bands. Hoistah and her 
children lived with Black Kettle's band who 
still trusted in the pale-faced people. 

114 



VALLEY OF THE ARKANSAS 

Several years later still these friendly 
Cheyennes were attacked by Chivington's 
Colorado Volunteers. The attack was un- 
warranted and unexpected; many Chey- 
ennes were ruthlessly killed 1 — women and 
children as well as warriors. In the list of 
killed were the only living children and 
grandchildren of Hoistah. 

Afterwards Black Kettle fell fighting 
"pony soldiers" and Hoistah was without a 
home. Then her heart turned against the 
pale-faced people forever. In her old age, 
widowed, childless and homeless, she learned 
to distrust the great government from which 
she had always hoped for help and guidance. 

A general peace among the plains Indians 
west and south having been established, the 
Cheyennes, in accordance with Indian cus- 
toms, often made formal tribal visits to 
other Indians. On none of these tribal 

115 



HOISTAH 

visits to the Kiowas did Hoistah accompany 
her people, but through others she learned 
that old Bear Tongue was killed in the same 
battle in which Iron Shirt lost his life, that 
Black Duck and a band of his comrades 
were slain by "pony soldiers" and trampled 
under the "iron moccasins" of their ponies 
far down in the south land. Neither kin- 
dred, old friend, nor old-time enemy of 
Hoistah was among the living. She was 
indeed alone in the world and out of har- 
mony with her times. 

It was small wonder that Hoistah now 
first evinced disrespect for the teaching of 
the missionaries. Once when some one ad- 
vised her to follow the teachings of the mis- 
sionaries and adopt some custom of the 
white people she said: 

"When I die I hope I shall be wrapped 
in a robe and hoisted on a scaffold. Per- 

116 



VALLEY OF THE ARKANSAS 

haps whistling winter winds will soon blow 
me down to earth, and my bones will be 
rattled over the plains by wild beasts. But 
until my bones are separated one from the 
other I shall remain a Cheyenne and continue 
to despise the pale-faced people and all their 
ways." 



117 



CHAPTER XIII 

Seeking a New Home 

As white men continued to establish 
homes, build cities, and in every way oc- 
cupy the valley of the Arkansas, the Chey- 
ennes found their only vocation, hunting, 
becoming less and less profitable, and at last 
they decided to leave this region and return 
to their former home in the Black Hills. 
Under constraint from the national govern- 
ment, however, they altered their decision, 
and agreed to move southward to the region 
in Oklahoma lying between the Cimarron 
and the North Canadian Rivers. 

To make sure that the Cheyennes did not 

alter their last decision, United States 

118 



SEEKING A NEW HOME 

cavalry under command of General Lawton 
was sent to escort them to their new home. 
Old Hoistah's proud spirit revolted at the 
thought of "pony soldiers" and she de- 
clared she would never obey any military or- 
ders from them. As she could not live 
alone she had of course to prepare to move 
south with the Cheyennes, but protested 
strongly against being taken to this new 
home by United States soldiers. 

At last the soldiers came. Several days 
of preparation followed and then southward 
along or near the Kansas-Colorado line the 
Cheyennes moved under their military 
escort, and southward along the same line 
Hoistah went at the same time, but she was 
not moving under any orders from the 
troopers. Her tepee poles were fastened 
on either side of her faithful spotted pony 
and all her possessions were placed in the 

119 



HOISTAH 

travois, while she herself mounted and rode 
as fast or as slow as she pleased. 

On the first day of travel Hoistah's con- 
duct was noticed by one of the officers, who 
upon making inquiry heard that this "old 
squaw" was "harmless but peculiar." The 
interpreter assured the officer that he need 
have no concern for squaws, though he had 
better carefully watch the movements of the 
warriors, some of whom contemplated escap- 
ing to join the Sioux. Thus it was that 
without molestation Hoistah travelled pretty 
much as she pleased. 

At the edge of the Cheyenne reservation 
the party stopped for the night and Hoistah 
pitched her tepee near by. Next morning, 
when the tribe, still escorted by the cavalry, 
moved on she remained behind and could 
not be induced to move. She was tired, she 
said, and besides she thought that, as the 

120 



SEEKING A NEW HOME 

tribe had reached the Cheyenne reservation 
the soldier escort should return. Late in 
the afternoon she moved on southward, fol- 
lowing the wide trail made by the Cheyennes 
and the "pony soldiers," but not rejoining 
them. The trail presently led close to the 
North Canadian River, where they were 
camped, but here Hoistah turned aside 
and rode up the valley several miles to 
a bend in the river and camped by her- 
self, alone. 

In a little cove by a small lake, beneath 
the wide branches of a giant elm tree, she 
erected her tepee. South and east of her 
tepee were dunes fringed with cottonwood 
trees; east and north was the lake girdled 
with trees and west of her, just near enough 
so that she could faintly hear the low mur- 
mur of waters in its wide sandy bed, flowed 
the North Canadian River. The willows 

121 



HOISTAH 

along the river bank screened her camp on 
all sides. 

About noon Hoistah stopped in this cove 
and by evening her camp was well in order, 
not to be suspected by the soldiers, so com- 
pletely was she hidden behind the willows, 
the cottonwoods and the dunes. 

At evening she gathered dried sticks from 
beneath two dead trees near her tepee and 
started a camp-fire in a bend of the dune, 
so that no one could see it from any direc- 
tion. Here she cooked and ate some of the 
half-dried meat she had brought. Until 
daylight had completely died out Hoistah 
sat by her little camp-fire listening to Na- 
ture's voices. Her pony, securly hobbled, 
grazed near her, and ever and anon the 
raincrow called from the thickest of the 
nearby grove. By and by some little 
coyotes, left alone while their mother went 

122 






SEEKING A NEW HOME 

in search of food, began to run up and down 
the sandy banks along the river, loud in 
their frolicsome exercise ; the moon, full and 
round, arose in the east, and the hoot of an 
owl in the dense forest across the river an- 
nounced that the reign of night had begun. 
Then Hoistah tie4 her pony among the 
willows and entering her tepee closed it and 
slept soundly until dawn. 

At dawn the quail's "bobb white" awoke 
her. The "tit-tit-tit-twig" of the scissor- 
tail bird, the lark's glad song and the dis- 
cordant voice of the crow in the dead Cot- 
tonwood tree on the river bank called her 
forth into a new day. She put the pony 
grazing again while she cooked her meat. 
The fatigue of her long journey had been 
great. And for two or three hours she 
rested before she mounted her pony again 
and rode on to the neighbourhood of the 

123 



HOISTAH 

main Cheyenne camp. There to her relief 
she saw the "pony soldiers" leaving. Back 
again she rode to her tepee, without a word 
to any one, and packing up again she came 
in to the Cheyenne camp just before night 
and placed her tepee there near to the main 
camp, but by itself. Here, just where 
woodland and prairie meet, alone but near 
her tribe, she established her new and com- 
fortable, though somewhat lonely, home. 

All the Cheyennes knew what troubles 
she had borne and were kind to her. 



124 



CHAPTER XIV 
In Oklahoma 

During the winter months Hoistah did 
not stay far from her own tepee. Cheyenne 
children brought sticks for her camp-fire; 
food and clothing were provided for her by 
the tribe, so that she lived comfortably. 
She was thankful, too, that the pale-faced 
people seldom came about. 

When the sun shone warm and bright, as 
it did for days and days during the winter 
months, she would sit on the south side of 
her tepee, or in some other sheltered spot, 
and nod as she thought and dreamed of 
olden times. When Arapahoes or other 
neighbouring Indians came to visit her tribe 
she would attend the feasts, and always en- 

125 



HOISTAH 

joyed watching the dancing upon these oc- 
casions. 

On winter evenings she would sit by her 
fire and tell the legends and traditions of 
her people to those who visited her; almost 
every day she talked of olden times in the 
Black Hills. But the sacred legends she 
never repeated except at night. 

The early summer season was what 
Hoistah most enjoyed. At that time she 
could ride over the reservation at will and 
live much in the open. One day in early 
June she rode out over the prairie to the 
North Canadian River to be alone and think 
and dream of the past uninterrupted. 
Through the billowy sea of bluestem grass 
she rode until the shade of a cottonwood tree 
by the river's bank invited her to rest. 
Turning her pony loose to graze she spread 
her blanket in the shade and sat down for 

126 



IN OKLAHOMA 

a good quiet hour. At her side a sensitive 
rose bloomed, and for a time she toyed with 
this plant, touching its leaves first on this 
branch and then on that to see them wither 
temporarily. Just at her back some wild 
poppies in bloom seemed to signal to the 
other flowers as they stood on the wind- 
blown prairie ; all around her the diminutive 
sun-flowers bowed gracefully to the flower 
people of the meadow, but constantly 
turned as Clyte of old to follow the sun-god 
in his daily journey. Yellow cone-flowers, 
stiff and unyielding, stood sentinel-like all 
around; here and there the morning asters 
displayed their dainty white umbrellas, and 
prairie primroses peeped out from the deep 
grass everywhere. 

The warm south wind, the perfumes of^ 
the blossoming prairie, the rustling of the 
leaves of the nearby tree and the quietude 

1271 



HOISTAH 

of this primitive place appealed to the aged 
Cheyenne woman to lie down and rest. 

Lying quietly in the shade she looked up, 
and began unconsciously to watch some 
hawks that circled far up in the blue above. 
Soon she was only conscious of their silent 
circlings and could not distinguish one from 
the other; then in dreamland she again 
played as a little girl on the bank of the river 
in the far away but still beloved Black Hills. 
The sun moved on westward, but only the 
eye of the sun-flower followed him in his 
journey. 

When Hoistah awoke the shade of the 
cottonwood had long since left her, though 
the prairie flowers still clustered near. Her 
pony was nowhere to be seen, and taking up 
her blanket she began to follow the dim 
trail, first picking up the rawhide thong she 
had used as a bridle, with which she would 

128 



IN OKLAHOMA 

have hobbled the pony but for a trick of 
failing memory that was coming on her. 
Down the mesa from the prairie into the 
river valley went the trail at last, and Hois- 
tah, climbing down still followed. Soon 
she found a place where the pony had stood 
in a thicket a long time for relief from the 
annoying flies, but again the trail led on 
toward the river. Presently she met the 
pony returning from getting a drink at 
the river. Scolding her for "running 
away" and at the same time patting the 
beautiful spotted creature kindly, Hoistah 
mounted her pony and rode back again 
across the prairie to the edge of the wood- 
land-home. 

But again, when she dismounted. When 
released the pony kicked up her heels and 
ran far out over the prairie to join the 
herd. Hoistah said: 

129 



HOISTAH 

"You foolish pony! I have ridden you 
for ten and five summers; you should be an 
old, old pony, but you are more foolish now 
than any of your numerous descendants. 
You and I are old nevertheless and soon 
must pass on to another land — an unknown 
region. We shall not follow, now or then, 
the way of the pale-faced people, but the 
way of the true Cheyenne." 



130 



CHAPTER XV 

With her own People 

So Hoistah passed the summer riding 
about the reservation, visiting the feasts and 
the social dances and frequently sleeping 
among the wild prairie flowers; then winter 
came again. 

This winter Hoistah, during the stormy 
days, never left her tepee, and seldom re- 
peated now, the legends of her people; 
in fact, she seemed to have forgotten them. 
But she talked freely of the old life in the 
Black Hills. 

By mid-winter she had gradually become 
too weak to walk about even in her own 
tepee, and some of her friends wanted to con- 

131 



HOISTAH 

suit a white physician at the Indian Agency 
for her, but she would not consent. The 
Cheyenne medicine man (**A frankly that he 
could not help her. "It is old age," said 
he; "she is going beyond." 

Watchers stayed night and day at her 
tepee, and often, half awake and half asleep, 
she would talk of games and scenes as if 
she were a child playing again by the Chey- 
enne River. One stormy night she lay still 
a long, long time, and then the watchers saw 
her make the sign of the Cheyenne feebly 
as she murmured, "Dzi'tsista's." ("Our 
own people.") What more she tried to say 
they could not understand. She was silent 
again for a long time, and they knew her 
life was ended. 

The next day they brought her pony to 
the tepee and attached a travois to him. 
Hoistah's body, wrapped in a bright robe, 

132 



WITH HER OWN PEOPLE 

was placed therein, and friends accompanied 
her as her body was thus drawn up on a high 
mesa overlooking a deep canyon, where a 
grave, deep and wide, was dug. The agent 
of the national government had forbidden 
the burial scaffolds which had been the 
Cheyenne custom hitherto. Into this new 
grave Hoistah's body was lowered. The 
pony that had been so faithful during life 
was killed and placed beside her mistress to 
be of service to her in the spirit land. There 
were also dried herbs, plaits of sweet grass, 
and implements of the industries of her 
people, as well as foods of various kinds. 
Over her body were thrown her shawls and 
her heavy buffalo robe. 

Having done all this the friends withdrew 
from the grave and sat apart. Every little 
while some one would leave the group with 
an offering and deposit it in the open pit, 

133 



HOISTAH 

addressing Hoistah as the token of love and 
respect was lowered. 

When at last shadows were lengthening 
toward the east the oldest Cheyenne of all in 
the tribe arose and asked if every one had 
"made offerings' ' who wished to do so. 

Receiving no reply he himself went for- 
ward and placed in the grave a beautiful 
blanket saying: 

"True Cheyenne, enter the shadows of 
the unknown world in comfort, and know 
that we who remain behind are ready to 
serve your needs. May these offerings help 
you to pass with safety and comfort through 
the dangers of the long trail you are now 
to follow in the spirit land, and may you 
reach in safety the happy hunting grounds 
of your own people." 

Then over the grave, now almost filled 

134 



WITH HER OWN PEOPLE 

with offerings, the friends piled a great 
heap of stones. Thus was Hoistah's body 
protected from the wild beasts of the plains. 
At sunset the tribe departed, leaving the 
dead alone, but trusting that her spirit 
should find its way through the unknown 
world to her own people. 

By a lone tree on the mesa, overlooking 
the deep canyon in the Cheyenne country, is 
the sunken stone heap, marking the grave 
of Hoistah. The unwearied winds sweep- 
ing through the dried leaves of the tree sing 
a requiem in winter time. In summer the 
voices of nature sing their songs, and all 
around the flower people of the prairie smile 
and nod and beckon kindly above the resting 
place of Hoistah, the true Cheyenne — the 
Signal-Light- Woman. 

Hoistah's life ended more than a genera- 

135 



HOISTAH 

tion ago, but her memory and the spirit of 
her unyielding nature, as well as her distrust 
of the way of the pale-faced people, still 
exist among the Cheyenne Indians. 



THE END 



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